This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!

New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.

DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.

I don't know if there is anyone else on this forum (or ever will be) who are allergic to seemingly everything. I feel sick if I get anywhere near a balloon, so latex is a killer for me amongst many other things. When I had braces as a kid, my face was constantly swollen, and my eyes would puff shut (usually only one or the other...thankfully). We never related the reaction to my braces until after I got them off and my face went down.

So this time, we're going to AVOID nickel :-#)

I have found a great orthodontist who has eliminated latex and nickel in all components except for three bands that will need to go around my molars, and the archwire. For those, she's having me pick them up this Friday to tape to my arm for 24 hours, to test for reaction. I'm also going to take them to my doctor to get allergy tested for them. Orthodontist said that if I do react to them, there are other alternatives she can order, but they may cost more. I'd rather pay a little more than asphyxiate myself or swell up like a pumpkin head, so yeah...I'm fine with that.

I'm so happy she is working with me and taking my allergies seriously. And she's researching options if need be! I am so happy about this, because I was very worried that my allergies would be a deal-killer in having a second go with braces.

Best of all, the colored ligs are latex free. Woo hoo! It's all about the colors :-)

I am just writing this to give hope to others with allergies. I will keep posted on how things go.

How did the allergy test go? I have nickel allergies, too, and and am a little scared to get regular braces because sometimes the reaction doesn't show up for a few days or longer (and then it hits with a vengeance!).